Category: UrbanToronto

Treehugger website has written a glowing review of a proposed development in the Leaside Business Park as the future of post-pandemic offices. Treehugger is self described as “the only modern sustainability site that offers advice, clarity, and inspiration for both the eco-savvy and the green-living novice”.

The developer has promoted the project at 154 Wicksteed Avenue as The Leaside Innovation Centre, “a state-of-the-art boutique office building designed to meet the needs of the high-tech industry in southern Ontario with innovation and sustainability as guiding principles. … The building will be one of Toronto’s first mass timber buildings taking advantage of recent changes in the Ontario Building Code allowing the use of heavy timber structure up to 6 storeys.”

• This Toronto Building Is a Model for a Post-Pandemic Office, Treehugger
• Sustainable Office Building To Rise in Toronto’s Leaside, Planetizen
• Leaside Innovation Centre, specs on UrbanTO

Architects and builders turn to "mass timber"—an engineered wood product similar in strength to concrete and steel—to build multistory buildings. “When you come inside, the smell of the timber is almost like you enter a forest.” https://t.co/RwyPPlTTxm

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) April 11, 2022

Going up (photo/facebook)

Marshalls. Staples and HomeSense

A sign has gone up at the long-time plaza on the southeast corner of Eglinton East and Brentcliffe Drive telling of a high-rise development proposal. It’s the location of the long-standing Staples as well as Marshalls and HomeSense. These last two stores (and Winners) are operated by the US conglomerate T.J. Maxx. It’s across Brentcliffe from the sky-scraping Upper East Village towers. Application to building department is for 4 new residential buildings (containing 1,279 units) ranging in height from 16 to 28 storeys. UrbanTO, Streets of Toronto

The legendary Capitol Theatre returns as an epic new residence

Details of the mid-rise residential development that will include the historic 1922 Capitol Theatre building at Yonge St and Castlefield Ave have been released. The theatre and its long commercial block were made a heritage building in 2016. Urban Toronto

Capitol Theatre building seen in 1926

Southwest corner of Yonge and St Clair

Slate Management proposal

Slate Asset Management, owners of just about everything at the corner of Yonge St and St. Clair Ave, are proposing a mixed retail, office and residential tower rising 49 floors on the southwest corner. Urban Toronto

Site of proposed tower in North Leaside

Surprise, North Leaside. The latest LRT-inspired tower proposal is a 25-storey mixed-use condominium building at the designated address of 1837 Bayview Ave on the southeast corner of Broadway Ave. Urban Toronto

1837-1845 Bayview Update

Golden Mile

The familiar commercial flatlands of Scarborough’s Golden Mile are facing the same upward development frenzy as the rest of Eglinton Ave. As reported by Urban Toronto, as many as 12 active development applications along the new LRT route would see it transformed into a residential and commercial canyon.

Road gone/DirectionNorth

Photo by DirectionNorth

A reader of the development site Urban Toronto has photoshopped pictures of the signs at what was the Logan Ave ramp to the Gardiner Expressway. He changed the signs from Road Closed to Road No Longer Exists. Cute.

• Farewell Logan ramps, hello three years of construction hell

How they work

Soap, tap and dryer need not be touched

Manufacturers are seeing a post-pandemic push for fully touchless washrooms. The ordeal of 2020-21 has apparently hastened demand for complete conversions. Touchless taps and dryers are already universal but now touchless soap joins them. The picture above shows another innovation — dryers located over the sink so we don’t drop water all over the floor. The principal of automatic washroom devices relies on an infrared light, which sits next to an infrared detector. The sensor works to signal the faucet valve to turn on when your hands come within a few inches of the lip of the spout, bouncing the infrared light off of your skin and to the detector. Urban Toronto

Demolition has begun

Leaside Common development

Demolition has begun at the second of two sites on Bayview Ave. where Gairloch Developments will build condominiums. This one is in the 1700 block and sits across the street from the Leaside station. A Facebook post describes what was called a “Platinum Broker’s Event” at the site which left the author more than a little cynical. And the single-family home reaction to the condofication of their neighbourhoods also inspires opposing namecalling too. One comment from “Condovo” on the Urban Toronto site calls the people of Leaside “City-privileged, veteran homeowners with a giant sense of entitlement”. Yep, that’s us.

Now revealed as Leaside Common

Tower would sit on site of townhouses (right) smack up against school playground

Urban Toronto reports this week that a 35-storey residential tower is proposed for Brownlow Ave immediately south of the playground for Eglinton Public School. The tower would rise on the east side of the short sidestreet where there is now a row of townhouses. It is the second tower plan announced next to the school in a matter of days.

Another tower is being proposed for the vicinity of Yonge St. and St. Clair Ave. The 39-floor structure is shown on a site on the west side of Yonge at Pleasant Blvd. This is the low-rise 1400 block. It’s the location of many long-time businesses including one of the only Home Hardware stores remaining in the area. Urban Toronto